The White House told CNBC that Mulvaney was given access to the director's office with full support from the bureau's staff, despite the lawsuit filed against him and President Trump by CFPB Deputy Director Leandra English.

English sued Trump and Mulvaney in federal court on Sunday night to block Mulvaney from taking acting directorship of the CFPB. She cited the CFPB's line of succession as enacted in the Dodd-Frank Act, which calls on the deputy director to serve as acting chief when between permanent directors.

English claimed that Trump violated Congress's will by claiming he had the power under the Federal Vacancies Act to supersede Dodd-Frank. However, the CFPB's chief counsel issued a memo to employees supporting the White House's nomination of Mulvaney.

This will be interesting. If Mulvaney's stint, along with everything he "does" is thrown out in court, this would all fit within a well-worn Trump pattern of intentionally (or wantonly)
doing things that are illegal just for the optics.